


Marinette's Truths (Bad End)

by StrangerDreams



Series: Bad End: Akumanette AU [2]
Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir Needs a Hug, Akumatized Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug, Bad Parent Gabriel Agreste, Dead Gabriel Agreste | Papillon | Hawk Moth, Dead Lila Rossi, F/M, Gabriel Agreste | Papillon | Hawk Moth Bashing, Hawk Moth is Gabriel Agreste, Hawkmoth Defeat, Identity Reveal, Lila Rossi Bashing, Lila Rossi Lies, Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug Identity Reveal, Stockholm Syndrome, Verity Queen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-21
Updated: 2020-07-21
Packaged: 2021-03-04 22:14:34
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,774
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25393696
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/StrangerDreams/pseuds/StrangerDreams
Summary: Adrien would never get used to the cold, empty vastness that was his room. Years of living in it never made it any more comfortable, any more like a home. It was just a shiny cage to complement the pretty songbird trapped inside, devoid of warmth or genuine personality. He’d always wanted something smaller and more lived in, but his father never cared for what Adrien actually wanted or liked, not beyond what looked good for his company.But at least before, that cage’s door was unlocked. Now that cage was locked, plated with metal, sealed away from the world, and Adrien’s wings were clipped. Adrien had been trapped for weeks, maybe months, mindlessly playing the same games over and over, practicing piano despite no longer needing to, and mourning the loss of Plagg, his friends, his Lady, and the freedom of being Chat Noir.-The aftermath of Lila's Lies (Bad End). No knowledge of the first fic is nessicary for understanding/enjoyment, however, it's only 400 words long so it isn't that much of an inconvenience to read first! Enjoy!
Relationships: Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir & Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug, Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir/Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug, Hawkmoth/Consequences, Lila Rossi/Consequences
Series: Bad End: Akumanette AU [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1839139
Comments: 18
Kudos: 140





	Marinette's Truths (Bad End)

**Author's Note:**

> So. I thought Lila's Lies (Bad End) would be a stand-alone. My brain had other plans. 
> 
> ...
> 
> Why am I so mean to these poor characters? (Aside from Lila... she can go jump in a volcano. I mean, I love her design? But her personality, at least at this point, is irredeemable.)

Adrien would never get used to the cold, empty vastness that was his room. Years of living in it never made it any more comfortable, any more like a home. It was just a shiny cage to complement the pretty songbird trapped inside, devoid of warmth or genuine personality. He’d always wanted something smaller and more lived in, but his father never cared for what Adrien actually wanted or liked, not beyond what looked good for his company. 

But at least before, that cage’s door was unlocked. Now that cage was locked, plated with metal, sealed away from the world, and Adrien’s wings were clipped. Adrien had been trapped for weeks, maybe months, mindlessly playing the same games over and over, practicing piano despite no longer needing to, and mourning the loss of Plagg, his friends, his Lady, and the freedom of being Chat Noir. 

Adrien cried for the first few days of his imprisonment. The wound of losing everyone he loved had still been fresh then, as was the stinging betrayal that was Hawkmoth turning out to be none other than his own neglectful, controlling father. But now, after so much time spent in silence, so much time left to grieve alone and come to terms with his situation, Adrien had no tears left... Only a simmering rage for his own hand in his predicament and deep-seated loneliness. 

He’d failed in stopping Verity Queen and lost his Miraculous and his freedom for it. 

Verity Queen was not an unkind warden, more present than Adrien’s father had been, but still just as distant. She was more nurturing than Nathalie, leaving small gifts of hand-sewn dolls and the odd accessory with little notes like “Good morning :)” or “Sleep well!” instead of cool updates about his schedule. Yet he never saw her for more than a few minutes a day. He slept with the Ladybug and Chat Noir dolls nestled in his favorite blue scarf sitting on the table beside his bed, as though they could protect him from his constant nightmares. 

Meals came three times a day, each drastically different from the next- from a South American dish to Pho and everything in between. Sweetbreads, croissants, macarons, éclairs, and a number of other pastries supplemented the meals, fresh and warm as if they’d come straight from the oven. Adrien wasn’t sure where exactly she found them or if she made them herself because she was always gone before he got the chance to ask. It reminded him painfully of Marinette’s surprise snacks at lunch, day-old pastries from the bakery that couldn’t be sold, but were still just as delicious when shared among friends. 

There was no contact from the outside world besides Verity Queen. No sounds, no internet, nothing that would suggest what happened to Paris. It could be a complete wasteland for all Adrien knew, streets left desolate in fear of being caught by Verity Queen, or just as busy as ever, trying to appease their Queen with normal activity. It was maddening not knowing anything more than what little Verity Queen would tell him. He knew his friends were somewhere, hopefully somewhere safe, and his father was gone. Lila was also gone. But he didn’t want to elaborate on _just how gone_ she was- hearing about her violent demise from a gleeful Verity once had been enough to make him ill for a week straight. 

Verity refused to tell him anything about Ladybug, even when he’d pleaded with her for even a scrap of information on her whereabouts. She’d remained stoic even as he clutched her skirts and wept into them like a child. 

Verity had his Miraculous, but wouldn’t give it back to him, afraid he would try to destroy her earrings to rid of the Akuma infecting her. He wanted desperately to see Plagg, and Verity seemed sympathetic to his plight but had raised concerns about the Kawami trying to help Adrien escape with his own cataclysmic powers. Needless to say, he wasn’t able to see Plagg. 

It was confusing, how contradictory Verity Queen was around him. Despite being named after her truth revealing abilities, Verity kept her own cards close to her chest, never directly lying to him but omitting information as it suited her. He didn’t even know who she was before she was akumatized or why she kept him locked away and yet tended to his every need. She was friendly and doting, let him talk at her all he wanted, but revealing nothing in return.

God, Adrien missed his friends. His missed real conversations about silly, nothing topics. He hated the stilted, one-sided conversations he had with Verity. If he had only one regret, it was not skipping out the photoshoot he’d had the morning of Verity’s inception. If he had, he would have been able to see them all one last time and say goodbye before going off to fight Verity Queen. He might have even been able to stop Lila before she did… whatever it was she did to get Verity Queen akumatized, so this whole mess could have been avoided completely. He missed Nino’s lazy humor and Alya’s clever theories and Marinette’s kind smiles and clumsy charm. He missed Ladybug’s brave smile and humble grace. Hell, he even missed Plagg’s sarcasm and the stench of camembert. 

Adrien missed them more than anything in the world and they were the _one thing_ he couldn’t have. 

Verity had mentioned that it wouldn’t be forever, that soon she would give him her truths, and he could decide then if he really wanted to see his friends again. If Adrien wasn’t already confused by her cryptic wording, he was only more confused about _when_ she would tell him. 

Then, yesterday, he mentioned Marinette and Variety had frozen. 

Suddenly, her distant but caring mask slipped and she’d scrambled from his room like she’d been burned. Her reaction made Adrien very, very scared for his first friend, and at the same time, horribly curious. 

Breakfast the next morning came unannounced, two Pain au Chocolat and a little folded note with his name on the front, Verity nowhere in sight. Adrien plucked up the note first to read it, despite how good the pastries looked and smelled. 

“Adrien- please enjoy these. I will be stopping by this evening to speak with you. I don’t believe keeping my truths to myself for any longer is fair to you, you have suffered my silence far too long, and for that and many other transgressions I have made against you, I wish to make amends.  
\- Verity.”

Did he mention how confusing Verity was? One moment, she was a stringent but considerate warden, the next a remorseful villain wanting to “make amends”. He could hardly reconcile the differences between the two. Did she actually care about him and his wants or was she just like his father, claiming to know what was best for him, but actively denying him those things? 

Adrien looked up disdainfully at the Pain au Chocolat, suddenly nauseated by their sweet smell. He collapsed back onto his bed, tears pricking at his eyes in his frustration. He hated not knowing anything- being shut out by everyone- told only what they thought he should hear and nothing more- lied to and made a fool of. He balled his fists, limply throwing a punch into one of his pillows. Tears streamed unhindered, his throat was dry and closed up- and oh god he couldn’t breathe-! His heart was racing in his head, pounding so much he couldn’t stop to think of taking a deep breath to calm himself- he just gasped like a fish- never getting enough air into his lungs. 

He knew he was having a panic attack- he’d had them so often these days but they were never any easier to talk himself out of. His first day had been full of them. He tried to think, tried to remember what to do- what Verity had done the few times she’d been there for his breakdowns- grounding techniques. Adrien gripped the sheets beneath him, felt the silky soft fabric, and remembered.

Horsely, he choked out the words, “I feel- I feel s-soft sheets.”

The Ladybug and Chat Noir dolls looked down on him with vacant smiles. “I see the colors red and black, my Ladybug and Chat Noir dolls-” He sucked in a greedy breath. 

“I smell the Pain au Chocolat- I hear- I hear my own voice-”

The world slowed its spinning at an infinitesimal pace, his brain gradually refocusing on the now, the present, and breathing got just a little easier as each minute passed. An undetermined time later, Adrien felt calmer but too exhausted to move or eat. He almost didn’t notice the plate of various cheeses and crackers, or the hot bowl of onion soup appear at his door. 

Adrien languidly glazed up at the clock, not all that surprised to find he’s spent the whole morning panicking and it was already lunchtime. He still felt sick, though his stomach panged with hunger, so he rolled off the bed with a groan and shakily went to collect his meal. 

It was ridiculous how good the food Verity brought was, but today it was tasteless and bland on his tongue. He finished, left the dishes by the door with the uneaten Pain au Chocolat, and lay back in his bed. Adrien couldn’t bring himself to do anything. He just wanted to know what was going on. He needed to know Verities “truths” and he needed to get outside, even if the outside no longer existed. 

Evening came at a sluggish pace, and with the dimming sunlight came the red-clad Verity, a pastry box tucked under one arm, her scale-like staff in the other hand. 

He rose to greet her, “Verity! You’re here!” then quickly backtracked, unnerved by his own eagerness. It was justified, seeing as she was the only person he saw anymore, but it irked him that seeing his captor could make him so happy. 

“Adrien,” Verity said kindly, dipping her head in acknowledgment, “I’ve brought a surprise. I figured you’d like something… familiar… while we have our conversation. I know you like them.”

Adrien peered at the box more closely now, noticing a startlingly familiar logo. 

“You brought something from the Dupain-Cheng Bakery? I haven’t- I didn’t know-” If they were still around, he left out. So that helped him a little bit to confirm his theory of some things running like normal, at least. It was a relief to know that not everything had changed while he was away. “Did you- did you see Marinette? Is she okay?”

Verity Queen’s face was carefully blank, but she twitched at the name. A familiar sinking in his gut followed the movement. Perhaps asking about Marinette was the wrong move. “What did you bring?” He said instead of prying further. 

Verity appeared appeased by this topic change, as she opened the box with a smile to reveal two rows of macarons, one a pinkish golden color and the other a pastel green. “Passionfruit and mint. The mint is… more for me, but I know that you like passionfruit. Please, have one.”

Adrien took one gingerly, examining it before taking a bite. He lit up as the subtle sweetness and hint of tartness characteristic of passionfruit, the light airiness of the egg and almond flour-based discs, and sweet filling between them. It was heavenly, but he expected nothing less from the Dupain-Cheng’s. He looked up and for a second caught Verity staring at him, a thin smile on her face. She everted her eyes at being caught, her mask of disinterest coming up quickly to cover up her slip. 

Adrien was again puzzled by her contradictory behavior. Was she happy he was happy? Why was she hiding it, if she was? “Thank you. How did you know that I liked passionfruit? It’s my favorite, but I don’t think I’ve ever told anyone…”

“You did, but not directly,” She admitted shyly. “I, well, you do know you’re special to me, don’t you? Adrien… I promised you my truths. And this is the first.”

Special to her…? Had she been a fan? Someone who followed his modeling career like Marinette or Wayhem? Was that why she had taken such bloody retribution against Lila and his father? Because they had hurt him, and she was trying to avenge perceived slights against him? 

“Did I know you? Before you were akumatized?” 

“Yes.” 

“From my modeling?”

“Yes, but not only that. I loved your father’s designs before I discovered his identity. Before I even knew you.”

“Were we… closer? Had we spoken before?”

“Yes, both. We knew each other, talked to each other often. You knew my name.”

Who was she? Why couldn’t put it together? It was like there was fog in Adrien’s brain, concealing her true appearance, distorting her true name, like a faery’s glamour. He rubbed his temple with the heel of his hand, brushing long blonde hair away from his eyes. They knew each other, spoke to each other, they were close. Just being another model was out, she said modeling and _more_. Did they go to the same school? Did they share a class? He knew her name, why couldn’t he think of it? Would she tell him if he asked outright?

“Would you tell me your name? Your name before you were akumatized?”

“Yes, if you wanted me to. I would.”

He swallowed. “Please.”

“Marinette Dupain-Cheng.”

Adrien reeled-

-and everything clicked into place. The pastries, the sewn goods, Lila’s demise. It all made so much sense! How had he been so blind not to see it before it was spelled out for him? His first friend, his princess? Who else would be so fiercely protective of him? He struggled to breathe, falling on his knees before her, holding his head. Apparently it was time for panic attack number two today, but it felt more warranted this time. 

~~Verity Queen~~ Marinette was quick to come to his aid, small, delicate hands on his shoulders. “I’m sorry, Adrien, I’m so sorry I didn’t tell you. I didn’t-” her voice was strained (was she crying?) “-I didn’t want you to _hate me_.”

“Why?” He croaked. “Why didn’t you tell me? Why am I here, you know I can’t stand it here- why are you always _gone?_ Why were you akumatized? What happened to Ladybug?” 

Marinette held him, cradling his head on her shoulder with hand. “Shh, Adrien. Please. I will answer, but you must calm down. Please. You know what to do, Adrien, just listen to my voice, I’ll guide you. What is one thing you can feel?”

Adrien tried to speak, but his voice was caught in his throat. Marinette rubbed soothing circles into his back, humming softly to him. He knew the tune, but it only made him cry harder, it was one his mother had sung to him when he was little when he was upset. And here Marinette was, doing the same thing for him, talking him through a panic attack, patient and kind. 

“Take your time. What can you feel?”

“Your… your hand on my back, it’s so s-small.”

“What can you see?”

He looked down at her long, toga-like red costume. “Red, the red of your dress.”

“What can you hear?”

“Your voice- why couldn’t I- why couldn’t I recognize it?”

Marinette shushed him again, “Don’t worry about that now. Come on, just breathe with me. Answers after.”

They spend several minutes that way, Adrien struggling to breathe, and Marinette patiently coaching him through it all. When he finally ran out of tears, Marinette hoisted him up onto his bed in a surprising (But was it really that surprising? Marinette had always been freakishly strong despite her tiny figure.) show of strength. Blankets were draped over his shoulders, his scarf wound once around his neck, the Ladybug and Chat Noir dolls shoved into his arms. 

Marinette stepped back, rubbing her arm self-consciously. “Are you comfortable? Are you okay to talk now, or do you need more time to process?”

“No,” Adrien breathed, afraid that if she went away now she would not come back or be nearly as responsive, no matter how irrational he knew that fear was. “Please. Please tell me now, I’ll. I’ll be okay, I promise.”

Marinette still looked unsure but relented with a sigh, “I didn’t tell you because I was afraid. And I know I hurt you because of that. I think I hoped you would put everything together, and I didn’t want anyone to give you hints or to turn you against me, so I kept you away. I knew you hated it, being trapped here, I knew it and I did it anyway because I’m selfish and jealous-” she took a breath, settling herself “-and it was just easiest to keep you here. I leave only to maintain order, reassure everyone that you are safe, and bring food to you.”

She paused to let him process, but Adrien just nodded, wanting her to continue. He could think later when he knew everything. 

“As for why I was akumatized. I suppose telling you “Lila always lies” wouldn’t be detailed enough for you… you always tried to take the high road. I just wish that could have actually worked.” Adrien stilled. He had said that, hadn’t he. Had this been his fault? “She faked a broken nose that morning when I was akumatized, blamed it on me being… jealous.”

“...Jealous?”

Marinette looked away, a blush creeping onto her face as she admitted in a tiny voice, “I had a crush on you. I still do. The class knew, and because you and Lila seemed so close while modeling… they assumed…”

It dawned on Adrien that he really _should_ have noticed. He might not have been very socially skilled but he knew plenty from media- the stuttering, the awkward half-complements, the times he caught her staring in class, or ran into her randomly at photoshoots. No wonder Alya and Nino had ditched the two of them on so many occasions. They’d been trying to get them together for months. God, he’d been so blind. 

“And they believed her. They believed that lying little snake over me- me who had been with them from the beginning. Me who had remembered their birthdays and made them cakes and brought in pastries for no reason, who did commissions for free. And they believed flakey, evasive, manipulative Lila because she told them what they wanted to hear. The story _she_ wanted them to believe.” Marinette seethed, and Adrien could suddenly see why Lila had bothered Marinette so much. Why Marinette had taken such pleasure in recounting her death. That was no little lie, like the cried for attention Adrien had dismissed all of Lila’s lies to be. These were purposefully harmful lies, meant to defame and demean. And he told Marinette to “take the high road”? What an idiot. 

“They broke me, they broke my trust and my faith in them to see through the lies,” Marinette was quiet again, “and I couldn’t do it anymore. I couldn’t keep my emotions contained anymore- it just all spilled out and Hawkmoth took advantage of that.”

Yet another tally mark against Hawkmoth, Adrien grimaced internally. His father really was a piece of work. 

Marinette looked up mournfully at him, finally onto his final question. 

“We really were blind idiots, weren’t we? Stuck in that ridiculous love triangle. You loved her, I loved you- we loved each other and didn’t even know it.”

It took him a moment, but only a moment to understand. “You’re Ladybug.” He said without a trace of doubt. 

She nodded stiffly, crying again. Adrien stood, everything falling away from him as he knelt down and hugged her. It explained so much. Why Ladybug never showed up to help him, why Verity knew all of his weaknesses in a fight. Why she was so enraged upon finding out Hawkmoth’s identity that she broke from his control. Why she hadn’t been cleansed.

“You can’t purify it. It’s in your earrings, isn’t it? You’d have to break the Miraculous to free it. Chat Noir can’t purify akumas or fix the damage like Miraculous Ladybug could." 

Marinette nodded into his shoulder, audibly releasing a sob. “I miss Tikki so much. Like you miss Plagg. She was my best friend through everything, and now she’s gone. I’m sorry I did the same to you. I’m sorry I took Plagg. It was selfish and cowardly-” she bawled through a string of self-accusations. 

Adrien hugged her tighter, not refuting her words or agreeing with them, just holding her. 

Maybe she was selfish to do what she did. Well-intentioned, but selfish. Maybe she took things too far in killing Lila, trapping him here even after admitting that she knew he hated it. But Marinette was an Akuma, trapped in her emotions, unable to see through her anger and pain. Blind with rage. She wouldn’t remember anything if she was cleansed, she wouldn’t have done any of it if she was in a better state of mind. 

Adrien couldn’t blame Marinette. He tacked another tally on the “My Father was the Worst” count. It was Hawkmoth’s fault, not Marinette’s that all of this had happened. Adrien was still suffering under his father’s decisions, even after death. Gabriel Agreste was still ruining his life, destroying everything Adrien cared about. And he had _dared_ to ruin Marinette’s life too.

If Hawkmoth wasn’t already dead and he had Plagg, he would have Cataclysmed him himself and enjoyed watching him crumble into ash. 

He broke from his thoughts at a gentle touch. Marinette was running a hand through his hair, looking him in the eyes, their faces only an inch apart from each other. “Your hair is so long… I hope it hasn’t been too annoying.”

He seized her hand mid-brush and brought it to his face. 

“I actually kind of like it this length. It would be nice to have something to tie it back with, though,” her breath caught as he leaned in, their foreheads pressed together, looking into her brilliant bluebell eyes. 

“How about… when we leave here, we get some bands then?” Marinette tentatively replied, bringing her other hand to rest in Adrien's hair.

Adrien smiled, leaning into her, and pressed a chaste kiss to her forehead, her cheek, and finally her lips. For a few seconds, he was blissfully unaware of their tragic position, of the hurt they had caused each other, and the dreadful situation Hawkmoth had left them in.

**Author's Note:**

> I wrote this in two days? And I had to do so much research? I'd never written a long shot - hell, I've even not written a chapter this long before. Please leave comments. Did I get things wrong? What did you think of my characterization? Were they realistic interactions? How was the romance? I literally never write it, but I've read a ton. I'm dying here right now because I spent way too much time on this mess.


End file.
